The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-04-30
RISING WATERS.
Reports of a Freshet In All Parts
of Maine.
me saco and Other Rivers the
Highest for Years.
Fears that Many Logs VIII be Swept
to Sea.

Highest for Years.
rears that Many Logs Will be Swep
to Sea.
| Especial to the PRFss1
SANFORD, April 29.-The Mousam rive
has been rising rapidly since early morninc
One of the bridges ON the back road
Springvale has been carried away.
BIDDEFoRD, April 29-The alarming an
pearance of the Saco today indicates th
most disastrous freshet we have had fo
years and even If the water should not at
tain greater height than at present whicl
is Dy no means probable, large amount O
damage will be done. When the ice wen
out OF the river fears of flood this sprin,
| were somewhat allayed, but the more know
ing ones, recognizing the fact that there wa:
great depth of snow along the river to the
north OF US, have had grave apprehensions
Oh just such rain storm as set in yesterday,
and have been looking for the result that
mas been brought about. The storm extends
lar towards the north and every stream that
reeds the Saco has become swollen, is pour
ing its floods Of water into the river. The
river is even with its banks all along its
course and in the low places the water has
gone beyond its confines and submerged the
surrounding country until it has occasioned
wide spread alarm.
The river has risen steadily since yester-
terday, and a continuance into another day
viii give us freshet only surpassed in mag
nitude by the memorable one of 1S43, when
whole buildings were washed from their
foundations and mills and dwellings came
floating down the roaring current, doing
thousands and thousands of dollars worth
OF damage. The older residents of the two
cities will recall the flood of that year and
the immense loss of property it entailed.
The only freshet of any Importance we have
mad since then occurred in 1870, and then the
water ran two feet deep in Gooch street and
the residents of that thoroughfare had to re-
sort to boats in going TO and from their
houses. The present indications point to a
freshet more disastrous in its results than
that even, and it will be nothing short of mi
raculous if the damage done is not very great
indeed
Looking up river from the Bradbury bridge
wide expanse of water met ones view and
submerged land and threatened buildings
were to be seen on every hand. A good
deal of the low land in Somesville was SUBJ
merged this morning and tbe water rushed
In strong current across Irving street. The
river began to encroach upon Maple and
Walnut streets in this city last night and this
forenoon the water stood two and three feet
deep in the former half the distance to Elm
street.
In the midst of a realization of the work
OF ruin that is being done one cannot but be
deeply impressed with the grandure that
such scenes as the falls offer today. The
lumbermen in this city apprehend that the
greatest loss they will sustain will be from
the lumber they have turned in upriver. All
OF the manufacturers have made their ppres-
ent seasons purchases, which have been
hauled to the banks of the river, and in case
Of a freshet the 1900 900 feet of logs that
would with good weather have been down
here in months time, win be scattered far
and wide over the intervales.
1t can thus be seen what an immense |
amount Of damage freshet at this time will |
10 in one direction alone. Blythe
ncffes OF ram 1en during last night and
present appearances indicate continuance |
If the storm and increased damage.
At three clock this afternoon the river |
was still rising, having risen an inch an hour |
steadily since ten o'clock in the forenoon,
and at the first named hour had reached |
within twenty-three inches of the highest |
mark touched during the freshet of 1870.
With a continuance Of the present rise but a
short time will be required to make up that
difference and it is confidently expected that
tomorrow will find the water higher than IL
was at any time in 1870. Thur far the
streams up country that empty into the Saco
have had but little effect here, but as soon
as the huge volume of water is poured from
the two Ossipees and reaches this place it
will make very appreaciable difference and
swell the freshet more than is readily con-
ceived now.
This afternoon the.water was pouring from
Hamilton & Sons lumber yard into Gooch
street where it was running foot deep
down to the Gooch Island bridge and flowing
into the river there.
Water street in Saco was in imminent dan
ger of being inundated, and to prevent this
a crew of men went to work this morning to
repair and heighten the dam at the east end
of Hooper Bros mill. A large part of the
land between Water and Storer streets is un-
der water, and two families have been obliged
to move from their houses.
The Water Rising at Skowhegan.
SKowHEGAN, April 29.-The Kennebec is
very high here and rapidly rising. The jam
of logs in Carribunk Falls, Solon, went out
at five o'clock this afternoon.
AHaIf Of a Million Of Logs Lost.
FARMINGToN, April 29.-It rained hard
here all last night and today. The river is
now higher than it has been for eight years.
Intervales are now covered and the river is
still rising. Several bad washouts on the
highways are reported, but none on the rail-
roads important enough to prevent trains
from running regularly and on time. Half
million Of logs at atWalton's mills, owned by
G. A. Gould, went over his dam and down
the stream this afternoon and will be nearly
total loss.
Trouble on tho kennebec.
GARDINER, April 26.-The heavy rains
last night and To-Day raised the water in the
Kennebec river to Ian unusual height, and
| 1t is feared much damage will iresult. Trad
ers along the north side of Water street were
engaged today in removing goods from eel
lars, several of which are already flooded
| Reports from Fairfield state the water is ris-
| ing there five inches an hour.
The Situation at Augusta.
AUGUSTA, April 29-There is big rise in
the Kennebec at this place. The water has
been rising all day and is some two fee
deep in the cellars of Water street stores
Some of the inhabitants at the north end arr
moving out. Goods liable to damage in Gel